PORSCHE 911 Convertible 1998‑2005

My 996 Cabriolet is a third car.

It is used simlpy for weekend drives.

It was bought once my daughter was old enough to no longer require a pushchair.

Her child seat fits easily in the rear seat and she has plenty of leg room, though she is only 4!!

It is an absolute joy to drive, as easy and as comfortable as my everyday driver(BMW 3 series) with more power than you will ever need on UK roads.

For what I use it for it is quite simply perfect.

However there is one downside; that is the running costs.

Fuel consumption alone is astronomical, it probably goes through fuel 3 times quicker than my BMW, and I do not have lead in my shoes.

Insurance was unexpectedly expensive, though does qualify for classic car insurance next year, so would hope to see this cost come down dramatically.

Even using independent specialists rather than main dealers, I still expect servicing costs to smart a little. However not to use spcialists(or main dealers) is a false economy, as they should know these cars inside out and help to keep the cars in tip top condition.

However after pointing out the downsides I did go into the purchase with my eyes wide open, as these cars can not be run on a shoe string budget.

To sum up the car, however terrible my week may have been, I just jump into my 996 and it just makes me feel great. An instant tonic to life's little woes.

This is a car I only dreamed about owning, then one day a nice man in a grey suit gave me some money to make my dream come real.

This car attracts admirers when parked, the shape is iconic with speed and performance just get behind the wheel and you appreciate the engineering and quality that the name stands for.

Look around the cabin and all the switches do what the decals describe they are easy to understand it's a very comfy place to be, but forget your weekly trip to the DIY market this car is just for pleasure,fire up the lump in the rear and immediatly throw your cd's out and listern to burble from the wid pipes, as you accelerate away the steering wheel seems to slide away from you as you are pushed back into the seat back rest and the scream from the strings take over this is sheer bliss,flip the steering wheel and take the bend as if on rails you may have to wipe your eyes to clear the tears of joy at this point.

Never had a fault with this car no signs of wear in the cabin or bodywork running costs are compatable to my BMW 330i, major service £450:00,consumption 30 mpg average, tyres frightningly expensive but better to be safe, this is a car to love and cherish and your partner will hate it.

You don't buy this car for practicality but for a driveable supercar you can take to the shops this car fits the bill better than any other

Its small quirky but extremely fast and holds the road like an F1 carand i can get 2 ses of golf clubs in the back.

The boot however is laughable and servicing is a pain designed to make things difficult, but all round nothing else would do it for me.

A car to keep for ever.

I have had the car just over 2 years - Its a great car, great to drive - If you take it to a Porsche specialist and not a main dealer the service costs are not too bad, typically between £500 - £600 per year based on 4 - 5000 miles a year useage, I bought mine with 29,000 miles on the clock and i'd advise you keep this down to avoid losing too much cash when you come to re-sell. Basically with Porsches the rarer the model the better it will hold its value in my opinion. The 996 c4s came as standard with Turbo body (minus the rear wing and side air intakes) Turbo suspension, wheels, brakes, trip computer and suspension, so it sits about 15mm lower than a standard carrera 4 or 2 but has no more BHP.

But with all the turbo bits on it - it just looks that much better than a standard carrera. I'd recommend buying one - keep it clean and the mileage low (use it on dry days and in the summer who wants to drive it in the wind and rain anyway? no fun) It should make a decent return when you sell it. The only annoying thing with it that ive found is that there are too many sensors attached to all bits of the engine and exhaust system, Lights on the dash seem to come on and off warning of this and that all the time and more often than not its down to a faulty sensor.

This car is soooo quick, handles like it's on rails and is totally addictive to drive!!

I have a wife and two kids - we all fit in it including the kids child seats and buggy.

Servicing costs less than my neighbours Mondeo as I use a Porsche Specialist rather than an OPC. I'm averaging only 20mpg though.

Very reliable, but there is one design fault. The radiators (all 3 of them) are in the front bumper and the standard grilles allow stones/leaves to get through which kills the radiators. Zunsport sell mesh grilles, which I have since fitted that fix this problem.

Great car to drive. Fast and Fun. My wife and kids love it and it's surprisingly practical for everyday use.

I live in town and keep a 996 Targa as my only car.

The reason I bought it was that I wanted a reliable hatchback! Seriously, with the targa roof you get a rear hatch that opens and is very practical. With the rear seats folded you can actually fit quite a lot of stuff in the car, so it is surprisingly practical - you can fit skis inside and the front boot will take 7 cases of wine, if stacked correctly.

My only bugbear with the car is the heavy clutch. To make it easier to live with, you may want to think about the Tiptronic but that would make it less fun.

It's safe too, with all the various airbags but also very good brakes and traction control. Very good in snow too.

Not the cheapest car to run in absolute terms, but relative to its performance it's pretty good.

I've only had the car a few days but what a buzz! It's like driving a go kart with gears. Love the metallic blue with grey leather interior. Could have had a basic mondeo or insignia for a similar amount of money but you only live once ..... living the dream!

Although not expected a 10 year old 996 convertible is quite a practical car. First of all it doesn't depreciate a lot anymore you can get a youngtimer insurance for it and it also fits two small children in the back or a not to big grown up ideally for less than 45 min. or so.

Great fun to drive on top of that as well!

Combining German build quality with everyday reliability, the Porsche 911 has brought pleasure to the driving public for generations. I am luck to have been part of this experience. Every time I get into this car it makes me smile.

We use it for days out, shopping, commuting and with the top down on a country road, for a bit of a thrill.

The performance is vibrant and the handling sometimes unforgiving, but there is nothing like knowing the car will punish you if you don't treat it well.

Well, like all things, there are a few drawbacks. The boot will fit a bottle of champagne and a tin of fois gras and not much more. So if you frequent Fortnum & Masons then its fine; otherwise shopping for the family is a non-starter. Yes it has four seats, but unless you are 10 years old or have no legs the rear seats are impractical.

On balance, it has cost less than our Golf to maintain and has out performed its reliability.

You must own a Porsche at least once in your lifetime. The problem is, what does one drive next.....